Sep.28 (GMM) Sergio Perez says he would “without a doubt” accept an offer to become Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull.
At Sochi, two weeks after his ousting from Racing Point became official, rumours swept the paddock that the Mexican driver had inked a pre-agreement with Haas for 2021.
The rumour indicated that the news could be made official this week.
“Nothing has been signed yet, but there is some progress,” Perez said after Sunday’s Russian GP.
“Let’s see how things go. Neither myself nor the teams have any rush, so let’s wait a bit.”
Some sceptics of the Perez-Haas rumour indicated that the 30-year-old driver might not be interested in joining a small back-of-the-grid team like Haas.
“I need a project that motivates me to get up every morning, train and travel all over the world,” Perez told the Spanish broadcaster Movistar.
It is notable, therefore, that another rumour is that Red Bull may be interested in signing Perez to replace Verstappen’s struggling teammate Alex Albon.
“Our intention is absolutely to retain our current drivers,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner said when asked about Perez and also Nico Hulkenberg’s availability.
“Alex is our preferred choice,” he added. “Inevitably, you have to be aware of what other options are out there but our absolute preference and likelihood is to retain our existing driver lineup.”
However, when asked about Red Bull, Perez made it clear that he would not hesitate to say ‘yes’ if an offer was made.
“Without a doubt,” he said at Sochi. “It is a team that is definitely going to fight for championships in the coming years.”